Rated M
M is for MATURE, people.
If I can pretend to be, then you can too!
DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING! *sob* However sometimes I wonder if Mashima-sama used to follow me and my friends around to help him dream up a few of his characters!
At least let a girl dream!
I luv to licky da beautiful faces!
MsKittyLick: the pocket is home, the pocket is safe. Ahhhhh. Just so that you know, my dear, beloved wife, I am trying to come up with JUST the right thing to say about your heavenly presence so that all that look on my profile will know your special place in my heart.
EddingsFan: Yaaay! No pressure! That DEFINITELY helps... like a lot. My free time keeps becoming more and more scarce and it's driving me CRAZY!
FairyRains: Hahahaha! I really shouldn't read reviews with liquid in my mouth. XD
SassyKitty: Make up your mind woman! You keep goin from hot to cold, hot to cold and ure gonna have a stroke! BREATH! XD
PhiaFair: lick lick, licklicklicklick! All I'm hearing is that I'm gonna have one happie, fair fairy here in about... ten minutes. :3 I love licking too!
SilentMaiden: Yaaaaay! I'm so glad I could brighten your day. I wish I could better explain to you how wonderful you saying that makes me feel! *lick lick*
Stormie~bae: BAHAHAHA! The drill... HA! XD
FlameDragonHime: Hehehehehe! Poor Pantherlily gonna be hunting those Maximum Sweet Strawberries soon if he doesn't watch who comes his way. XD I'm sure he'd MUCH rather go kiwi hunting!
Ivy: =^.^= Glad ya liked it. Tehehe
PrettyPoppy: Hallo my Flower! I am fantasically glad you likied, now I formally request another zombie flavored chappie from you! Moooooar!
ScarletLoveliness: I think those two are already too crazy to let the other drive them more crazy. Hehe, the best people ARE crazy after all. Good night my lovely!
DogPawIsHOT: ty! Many licks ure way!
MyLuv: Ikr! Natsu has his moments! *much swooning* And, HAH! Gaajie soooo ate that apple! He ate that apple goood! Num num! :3 Wtg Luv! YOU HELPED! *high five* omg, ure comment about the chappie title, I just... aggggg! XD I luv you Luv! *lick lick!*
Thirteen reviews!
You guys hit it right on the nose this time! Now I gotta come up with that bonus dialogue.
*mulls over what it could be during proofreading*
Episode 38
Swimming in Hot Water
Something about Lucy being all kinds of wet and slippery had Natsu in full hands-on overdrive. With arms tightly wrapped around her waist, he hauled her back out of the water only to hear his brother's rude interruption about foraging or something. Whatever. That means he was going away right? Natsu was still mad about him killing most of those sickos without him. If only that creep's foot had of clocked him right in the back of the head! That would have been beyond funny—you know, because he would've deserved it.
Well, with Gajeel taking Levy away, Natsu was free to play with Lucy however he wanted. As he held her, he grinned with a "Hehehe," and leaned backward to send both of them back into the water. His captive was squirming like crazy when he surprised her by rolling above and releasing her, emerging from the water as quick as he could. With a quick breath of air he turned around in the nick of time to watch Lucy come back up in a gasp. Her hair looked so shiny and long all plastered to her skin like that.
Whoever came up with the idea of making white tops for women must have been a genius. Natsu allowed his beloved a full half second to breathe (nice guy that he is) before pouncing her again with a grin wrought completely full of razor sharp teeth. Her yelp was cut off as he tackled her back under the water, this time with both hands groping bountiful breasts while doing so. Even underwater he could see red heat up her cheeks.
Both breasts well in hand
plus
blushing mate
equals
Prey ready for the tasting.
The equation seemed pretty simple to Natsu so he swiftly laid his lips over hers, effectively making her squirming much less of an issue. ...At least for about three seconds.
Some of the best three seconds of the day thus far though! The taste of Lucy's mouth was better than that of a fresh campfire, and the two handfuls of supple Lucy-bosom was sublime. Her body and flavor would forever be his greatest weakness. It was damn unfair... but he'd figure out a way to adapt.
Just when he brought his body up to hers under the water, Lucy wrangled him around and broke from his grasp to lift her head out of the water again. Natsu groaned at her departure and quickly recaptured her from behind in the chest high water, immediately nibbling her neck.
"Na, Natsu..!" The anxious blonde struggled, looking around feeling embarrassed. "Gajeel and Levy are here!" His teeth on her were making her ache for him with a type of libido she'd had no idea she'd possessed.
The fire dragon placed his hands on both both sides of her head and turned her face to see Equuleus all by her lonesome. Lucy blinked curiously at Levy's absence while Natsu moved his hands to her hips as he spoke directly in her ear. "Nobody else here, Luce."
Lucy smiled softly, no wonder he was getting so handsy. Well, two can play at that game. Quick as a flash, the mage turned around in his arms and affectionately began stroking lithe fingers through his pink spikes. Up against him like this, she could feel his breath hitch in surprise from her sudden tender loving care.
Hehehe...
"Oh Natsu, so we're all alone now, huh?"
The grin he showed her was nothing but predator as he leaned his forehead to hers and twitched eager fingers much tighter on her hips. "Seems so."
The small, simple, mischievous smile lining the blonde's lips went unnoticed by a dragon anxiously awaiting his mate to come to the same conclusion of what they should do with their free time as he. A thought that became amplified as Lucy's fingers trailed from his hair slowly down his neck so that one hand rested on his shoulder as the other had a long index finger making tiny circles on his chest. "Well... I guess now that Levy's gone..."
Natsu smirked preemptively and angled his chin to kiss her again, feeling more than hungry—but Lucy slyly moved her head to the side, causing his lips to merely skid over a smooth cheek. She continued uninterrupted, and so, so innocently, "I guess that means that we'll have to set up the camp all by ourselves..."
"Uh huh." Natsu had begun heating Lucy's skin with small kisses all down her neck before he'd registered what she'd said. When he did, his head popped up, "wait, what?"
Lucy sighed, already feeling herself melt in his arms. "Well... we need to set up the tents, brush down Equuleus, and figure out what's for dinner."
Golden eyes of a fire dragon narrowed at the round innocent eyes of his mate. Didn't she know their alone time was limited? Natsu was silent for a moment, contemplating the pros and cons of happy vs mad mate before he groaned, "Alright, Luce," and began trudging out of the water... begrudgingly.
The Celestial mage watched him, utterly flabbergasted. No complaining? Whining? Dodging the issue? Not even a snide remark about Equuleus? Lucy smiled. Natsu must be in rare form today...
Inwardly cursing his lover's responsible side, the dragon jumped when something wet fell right on his head and over his eyes. "What the hell?!" Natsu snatched it off and cut himself off when his nose told him that it was Lucy's white tank top.
The wizard's ear twitched when Lucy's voice purred from further behind him. "Or we can just wait to do all that stuff and go skinny dipping."
Were his ears playing tricks on him? The dragon flushed at the unexpected bra that was flung over his head and he watched it float in the water for a moment just long enough to make the blonde behind him giggle. Natsu turned to look over his shoulder at her to see the heavenly sight of Lucy covering her top half with nothing but her arms with cheeks dusted in a faint pink.
Natsu's eyes slowly widened as his mate's offer sunk in. He'd always had the impression that she hated being naked, yet here she was taking her clothes off.
For him!
A sly smile intruded upon his expression and he quickly cast his vest aside. "Hell yea!"
Lucy laughed at how he quickly began to wrestle with the pants at his waist, only to laugh harder when his haste caused the impatient dragon to fall face first in the water again when the unwanted clothing snagged his foot and caused him to loose balance. The Celestial mage's joviality faded quickly when she noticed that her lover did not emerge again right away. It was suddenly far too quiet...
This smelled like sneak attack...
Sure as fire burns, hot hands found their way to Lucy's waist from behind, slipping the leather pants down her hips. The blonde yelped and instinctively placed her hands over his, to which he lifted out of the water just enough to nip her side with a growl. She jumped and laughed, "Natsu!"
All she heard was a chuckle as he ducked back under the water to finish sliding her clothes off. Lucy blushed brighter as he had her lift one foot and then the other to complete her nudity. A sharp gasp was triggered when she felt a searing hot tongue dragging from her ankle up her leg, and over her bottom. He brought it all the way up to her earlobe and nibbled it with arms wrapped possessively around her waist. Quickly turning around to clasp her hands behind her handsome dragon's neck, Lucy smiled at him. "Happy now, Knucklehead?"
"Heh," Natsu placed his lips onto hers without another word, feeling ecstatic. Loopy Lucy was finally ready for naked playtime?
Round three!
Pulling her body flush with his elicited an excited growl that added a flattering quality to the kiss he gave his mate. Lucy moaned in response, one of her hands buried fingers into his spikes as the other gripped a shoulder that was tensed with pent up energy.
The water all around them began to steam as Natsu's desire rose to unbearable. His manhood twitched against Lucy's inner thigh while both his hands slid down to scoop generous handfuls of mage bottom. His captive broke from his gluttonous kiss to gasp at the sensations his eagerness was causing, but Natsu only leaned over her, biting and sucking at her neck in an exceedingly primal manner. The hunger he displayed for her was more than overwhelming and Lucy squealed when Natsu leaned her so far back that they both plunged back under the water.
Lack of air not withstanding, the dragon continued devouring her skin, moving down to her bosom. The mage shuttered when his lips, teeth and tongue found her breast's peek as one of his hands took hold of the other. All the air fled from Lucy's lungs in an attempted moan from being pinned under her lover's need. Rescue was already underway, however, for Natsu pushed his treasure to the edge of the pool so that she laid in the warm sand. Steaming water lapped between her breasts while a dragon feasted from her pale skin. Lucy's body was practically on fire from receiving his insatiable hunger first-hand and groaned from the desire he'd planted deep within her.
Such a groan sounded too good not to eat, so Natsu swiftly lifted back up to capture his mate's lips, delving his tongue deeply. The water boiled where he clutched her thigh, holding it at his hip as he angled himself to finally dip into her fire. The mage under him found purchase gripping his sides and anxiously pulled him to her, exceedingly eager to feel his warmth. Their kiss paused as they both moaned as he filled her. Natsu peeked half-lidded eyes at his mate, spying on her flushed expression as she breathed through her mouth. With her in his sight, she was filling nearly all of his senses, yet the stingy lizard wanted more. His fingers sizzled as he gently stroked Lucy's wet hair from her face, bringing those magnificent eyes of hers to open and gaze into his. "Naaaat~suu..."
The sultry breaths of a fire dragon breezed over her face pleasantly, "Yea, Luce?"
A spark of devilry could be seen even midst brown eyes glazed with pleasure as Lucy asked again, "Ha, happy now, Knucklehead?"
Pink brows furrowed with determination as her lover took those as fighting words and drove his tongue back into her mouth. The kiss was sloppy as both simply enjoyed the taste of the other when Natsu pulled back only to thrust into her again. Lucy's head began to make a small indention in the sand as the sensual sounds of lovers filled the air. The heat his mate cultivated only for him was perfect in more ways than one and Natsu simply could not get enough of it as he began entering her repeatedly.
Small waves were splashing against Lucy's chin as Natsu brought a scorching hand to cup one of her breasts. Such a hand was not gentle, quite the contrary. The mage reeled her head back, separating their lips when she needed to let more than mere moans rush past her lips. Such a retreat from their kiss only encouraged Natsu and his gyrations became far more vigorous. Lucy squeezed her eyes shut and moaned out loudly. The relentless way he invaded her was unraveling everything that made her whole. She wailed for him through rapid breaths as his hand moved from her breast to dig into sandy strands of gold, his other hand doing the same. Lucy had called for him, so he pressed his forehead to hers as he entered her again. His mate hummed at the familiar gesture's intimacy—her heart fluttered and she felt feverish. Truly this is what it felt like to be alive. Every inch of her body felt aflame and she could feel everything that her lover did. From the extremely pleasing rod of fire penetrating her to his strong chest rubbing against sensitive breasts. Not even the droplets of water falling from his wet hair went unnoticed as Lucy cherished the life they'd agreed to share with one another.
The next time she opened her eyes, they were filled with happiness and laced with lust. Lucy stared at the man focused on making love to her and marveled at his beauty while Natsu ground his teeth together, holding onto a climax begging to be freed. Would this woman best him every time? He wanted to please her, needed to—but the fire she surrounded him with just felt so good!
Lucy's groans grew an octave lower as Natsu's arm slipped and he entered her differently. He glanced down at her curiously and noticed that her flush had increased while her thighs suddenly clutched his sides much tighter. In his pause she whispered his name in a husky voice that made him smile. With a quick swipe of his tongue to her mouth, he lifted to his knees, bringing her lower half up with him. At first, Lucy opened her eyes and looked like she might protest about the awkward position—but then he began thrusting again with renewed intensity.
Natsu held her thighs securely at his hips as he listened her gasps and moans. With each new pump, he watched his mate slowly come undone. The water mingled with their sweat as his eyes were drawn from her face and plump lips to her bouncing bosom. Natsu felt her clench tighter still as the smell of her euphoria washed over him. He roared his frustration and pleasure as Lucy grew hotter, tighter and yet somehow more moist. This was where he always seemed to loose his ability to control himself and he held onto his restraint desperately as the mage beneath him writhed and cried out her supreme pleasure. With nowhere else to go, Lucy dug her hands into her own hair while the dragon never ceased ravaging her. The blonde's climax seemed never ending and she arched her back with another cry. "Natsuuuuuuu!"
Her voice sounded muffled, having ears only for the wrathful roar of her lover loosing his tentative hold. When he felt himself loosing control, he lowered back down on top of her to taste her tongue in a growl. Lucy immediately captured his cheeks and returned his kiss while the sensation of his climax filled her. It was like becoming overwhelmingly hot yet somehow soothing all at once. The comfort of knowing she would never be cold again; one of many perks that came with being the prisoner of a fire dragon.
The kiss they gave one another lasted long after Natsu gave into his urge. His body pressed against her as he sighed into his mate, his Lucy. Such splendid arms wrapped around his neck and held him in a way that promised she would never willingly let go—that she was his, body and soul.
When they did finally part, it was not far. Natsu rolled onto his back, but took Lucy with him. She squealed from the unexpected motion while he secured his arms around her waist. Leaning back into the sand he stared up at her with draconic eyes. Lucy smiled down at him and shook her head humorously, "Well?"
A frown spawned onto his lips as a brow arched, "Well what?"
Such a brow was reciprocated from his blonde counterpart, "I asked twice now, Natsu." She nuzzled into his neck and queried again softly, "are you happy?"
"Oh that?" Natsu scratched his head, "that's a weird question—" a grunt interrupted him as Lucy twisted sightly, reminding him with ease that he was still sheathed within her. "Yes!" His voice squeaked and he cleared his throat, "Yea Luce, I'm happy!"
Natsu could feel her chuckle as he breathed in sharply at the bitter cold of her lifting away from him. Sure she succeeded in removing him, but he growled his dominance and made certain she got no further than sitting on his six pack. Had he thought about what he would say next before he said it, Natsu probably would have remained silent. "Geez Luce! Why the hell do you do that anyway?!"
The mage looked down at him in confusion. Hadn't they just shared a supremely intimate moment? She took her turn to frown, "Do what?"
Too late to take back his question now, even if the spark in her eyes screamed trouble brewing. "That thing you do—uh, when we're mating."
Lucy shook her head, bewildered (and wondering if she shouldn't find her clothes). "Uhh.." Ya just had to go and make everything awkward, didn't cha, Natsu?
Natsu blushed, not really sure now to continue—but if he was going to be her mate—he needed to know. "You... well," he struggled. "What I mean is, I wanna make sure that you're happy—but I keep loosing, and I—"
"Wait a minute." Lucy sputtered, "you mean like... I win? At sex?"
With a new and more defined frown, Natsu corrected her, "At mating."
"Natsu!" Lucy was blushing and beyond embarrassed. Did he think he was doing it wrong? "Umm, Natsu... what, what we did just now..." She stroked her fingers through his hair, hesitating while she mulled over exactly how to say what he might need to hear. "It's not a contest... or a competition." In an aversion of eyes, she coyly finished her statement in a whisper, "It's something lovers do... um, for fun."
The dragon blinked rounded eyes at her, "So you're sayin you... didn't win?"
Lucy looked back down at him with a puffed cheek, "Don't be taking me outta the winner's circle just yet, Jerk!"
Natsu cackled and grabbed hold of both her breasts as he sat up. Then he proceeded to lean into her more with a mischievous grin, sending them both back into the water. The blonde pulled herself away quickly and covered her breasts with her arms, "Hey! These things are sensitive, ya know!"
The pink haired wizard lifted out of the water, stalking toward her while wielding two grabby hands and a shark-toothed smile to boot, "I figured as much. Ya seem ta like it as much as I do when I grabb'em."
"Uhh..." Lucy sweatdropped, "let's not go nuts, Na, Natsu!"
"Oh, too late for that, Luce." His voice was formidable, and to one like Lucy, more than a little creepy in his over exaggerated perversion.
In no time at all they were playing a game of dodge or be groped, to which Natsu was eventually declared winner by an exhausted Lucy. Even with a dragon cackling his victory with a claw to her breast and rear, she could not begrudge him (though she tried verbally anyway). His lust for life was one of his absolute best qualities, and if they continued to play tail chasing games well into their nineties then it would be a life well spent.
Especially when her lover bends back over and kisses her again after his fit of insanity.
Lucy was officially melting for him all over again when he pulled away with a sniff to the air. Natsu glanced into the distance and said, "Better get dressed, Luce. Chrome-dome is comin back."
After having him unwilling to release her for even a moment, it felt odd when he let her go to snag her shirt from further in the pool so easily. Natsu grinned before tossing the wet top to her. Lucy shook her head as she slipped it back on; did he have no idea what profound power that smile of his held over her? Mavis, but how had she survived without that smile for over two years?
Natsu was fully dressed when he returned to her with her pants. Natsu stared intently into her eyes while he buttoned her pants for her when she spotted Gajeel and Levy coming up over the horizon. Lucy quickly looked back to her dragon and hugged him tightly, "I love you, Natsu."
Natsu grunted at how vehemently she held him but readily returned the embrace, "Aye, Luce. I love you too."
He was going to try for another kiss, but his brother's voice spoiled the mood horribly. "Are you fuckin serious, Salamander? In our water?!"
o.o;;
The next day of traveling was just as miserable as the first. Lucy led the horse's reigns with only Levy astride, shaded completely by Gajeel's large clothes. Equuleus was not built for this kind of terrain and Lucy worried that the filly may not have the stamina to carry them both all day long in such heat. Gajeel walked by Levy's side as Natsu took the lead.
They continued toward the mountain range on the horizon, under an angry sun.
"Here, Shrimp." Gajeel held a canteen up to the bundle of fabric on the paint's back, "drink some more."
Levy peeked out and sighed, "I'm fine, really. Give it to Lulu."
Lucy looked over her shoulder, "I'm alright, Levy, besides." She patted her own canteen resting on her hip, "I'm covered."
Gajeel sniffed, "You oughta be covered, ya mean. How come you ain't gettin' all sunburned? I seem ta 'member Shrimp here complainin 'bout how easy you burn."
Levy deadpanned at her iron dragon from under his thick tunic, feeling extremely cranky at being stuck under it like he demanded. "Look at who suddenly has a good memory..."
Lucy blushed, she hadn't even thought about the sun's effects on her skin—or lack thereof. Could her new immunity to fire really mean no more sunburns? She was trying to come up with a response that made the truth sound a little less crazy when her ever impulsive fire dragon budded in.
"Aww, big bro's just jealous cuz I get ta enjoy my mate's smokin, hot bod while he's got his all huddled outta the sun." Natsu smirked at Gajeel with a fist pound, "just another way that fire trumps metal. Luce has a Celestial flame burnin in her now—so that sun up there is just another pretty star."
Gajeel and Levy blinked at him, then looked over at Lucy. Gajeel harrumphed, but the ever inquisitive blunette sought further education, "Celestial... flame?" She spoke over Natsu grinning about how good it tasted as she asked Lucy, "so you're actually immune to fire...? But how...?"
Levy also became very curious of the massive blush baking her friend's face as she giggled nervously, "Yea, it would seem so."
"Oh wow..." Levy's thoughts turned south as she eyed the blonde, how could they not? Lucy's embarrassed expression was practically screaming a story! "So when you two..."
Gajeel barked, "Hey! We don't need ta go there, Shrimp!"
Natsu cackled, "Toldja she liked it hot!"
Lucy whimpered under Levy's curious gaze, there would be no getting out of the interrogation swimming behind those black eyes.
As the sun eventually began to wane, the sandy ground relinquished its claim to rocky terrain. Large jagged rocks protruded from the ground as the team began to follow the northern base of the mountain. Gajeel kept a leery eye to the left of them, frowning at the mountains. With so many twists and turns in there, it was it difficult to discern what was where. All the wind blowing through them wasn't helping, either.
He was about to announce that no one was to go in there until they got to Sabertooth's main ascending road when a horrible smell washed over his heightened senses. The smell was so much more than merely the familiar scent of rotten flesh.
"Ugh!" Natsu quickly plugged his nose with both hands, halting.
Even Lucy and Levy could smell it, though it wasn't all consuming like it was for the dragons in their company. The Celestial mage stopped next to Natsu and put a hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry, Natsu, we'll pass by it in no time."
The wizard grimaced under his hands, "That ain't happenin." He lifted one hand to point further into the mountains, "someone's up there, I can hear them."
Gajeel frowned, "That whole damn place stinks of infection."
"Are they using magic? How is anyone still alive in all of that?" Levy tilted her head curiously.
"Does it matter?" Lucy turned to them, "Natsu said someone's up there, so we gotta go check it out. They could be in trouble!"
Natsu nodded to his mate with a heart that swelled with pride. Lucy knew he'd never just keep walking and he loved her for it. He punched a fist of fire into his hand, "No point in holdin' back if we're doin this."
"Wait, Natsu." Levy slid from Equuleus' back, "let me scout the situation first."
"Hell no!" Gajeel barked at the same time Natsu said, "We know the situation."
"Heh," the fire dragon continued, "all we need to know is that crispy critters ain't eatin whoever's up there."
Lucy cracked her whip between her hands with a wink to Levy, "Looks like this is an extermination and rescue mission, Levy."
"This time I'm getting more than you, Ironface!" Natsu smirked, scooped Lucy into his arms, and began jumping up various peeks to get to the source of the voices he'd heard.
Gajeel grunted and folded his arms, "He wants to go into that stink, fine. We'll just wait right here."
Blonde hair whipped behind Lucy as she clung to her lover's neck. He bounded across and over so many peeks that she lost all ability to navigate when he finally stopped. Setting her down gently next to him, they crouched as they looked down into a valley filled to the brim with moaning, rotting corpses. Lucy frowned, feeling puzzled, "It looks like they're all just sort of... stuck down there. Who did you hear talking, Natsu?"
The poor dragon's face was blue from the stench. He'd thought a little over a dozen sun-baked creeps smelled bad? The smell here was so rank he couldn't smell anything else at all. His voice had a definite whine to it as he replied, "I don't know... I don't hear anything now."
He held up a hand that began to grow a ball of flame to light the valley up when both of them quickly turned around to the sound of someone landing behind them with a young voice that yelled, "Are you crazy!? Put that out!"
Lucy and Natsu stared at her from over their shoulders. The girl had unkempt, long black hair and wore tattered clothes. The distrust she held in dark purple eyes was heartbreaking, she couldn't be any older than eight! So young to harbor such dark emotions. As the two observed her, Natsu still held his ball of fire, and the young girl practically growled, pulling out a gun and pointing it right at his forehead. "I said put that out! Those things may look trapped but I just know they'll find a way to crawl outta there if you keep that up!"
Natsu just kept staring up at her blankly but Lucy jumped when the girl pulled out the gun. "Ack! Na, Natsu, put it out, wouldja?" She brushed her fingers lightly over his arm, which shook him out of his stupor. His head of pink hair swung to glance at her, feeling goosebumps from her light stroke.
Lucy cocked a brow at him and motioned to his fire, and the girl's gun pointing at him. Natsu turned back at the girl and waved his fire away and snatched the gun from her in the blink of an eye, standing up and examining it, everything from licking to smelling—not to mention the fantastic job he was doing at ignoring the girl jumping in protest and trying to snatch it back during said examination.
"Hey! Give that back! You can't just, HEY!"
Lucy watched Natsu's actions, curious if he would use his natural knack for putting children at ease when he frowned, "Wait a minute..."
Natsu took a much bigger whiff of the gun, then looked at the girl suspiciously. Having no qualms about personal space, he leaned toward her and sniffed her too. The smell of her clothes were foul, just like the cretins down in that pit of doom, but...
Satisfied, he grinned broadly and bent down to her level and pointed right at her nose. "Hey! You're Ahh—"
"GIVE THAT BACK YOU JERK!" A more masculine voice was heard coming right for them when a foot landed into the fire wizard's face, knocking him backwards. "No WAY are you gonna rob us!"
"Agg!" Natsu was pushed back and teetered at the edge of the cliff with limbs flailing. Lucy yelped and quickly ran to him. Once she was able to steady him, he laid a hand over hers on his arm, "Thanks, Luce." Now solidly back on the ground, Natsu stormed up to the new arrival with a scowl. The guy's face was covered in rags that shielded him from all the dust blowing about. Seemed like they'd been hiding out here for a while. "Damnit! Talk about a cheap shot! We ain't robbers!"
The man had placed himself protectively in front of the girl in a fighting stance, but went rigid when he got a good look at Natsu. He lifted up a bit of smelly cloth hindering his vision and he asked, "...Natsu?"
The fire dragon stopped and grinned, he knew who this guy was now—those eyes could be mistaken for no one else. "You got it! Where the hell did you get those rank clothes?! How's a guy supposed ta smell ya when you stink so damn bad?"
Lucy shook her head, "Natsu? What's going on?"
The new arrival looked over Natsu to peer at Lucy, "Wow! Lucy too?!" He wasted no more time stripping off his makeshift mask to reveal an absolute mess of blue hair and a broad grin. "I can't believe it's really you!"
The star maiden's eyes widened, then slowly grew a huge and relieved smile that brightened her face immensely, "Romeo? ...Asuka?!"
So ends, Episode 38! Tune in next time for: Trouble in Paradise!
Jellal: *walking next to Erza and tries to sound nonchalant* So... about this baker I am hunting...
Erza: *responds immediately, cutting him off while still looking forward* Such a baker must have skills worthy of legend, a true master of his craft.
Jellal: *frowns* A legendary... baker... Erza?
Erza: *stars for eyes and an anticipatory fist held in front of face* Aye. He must be able to delve deeply to bring out the cake's true flavor, the icing's ultimate fluffiness.
Jellal: *starts sweating a little* Icing can be... fluffy?
Erza: He must also have the architectural capacity to tower such a masterpiece at least five tiers so that he may show off its glorious artistic features!
Jellal: Is this to be a cake, or a tower...?
Erza: And we mustn't forget the perilous journey that awaits to obtain the vital ingredient such a splendid treat must have... *clutches her fist with a sudden determination*
Jellal: *sweatdrops, feeling very confused. Did she want the cake more than the wedding? Should he be jealous of this baker?*
Erza: Yes. A trip to obtain many of the legendary Maximum sweet strawberries is the only possible course of action for such a skilled baker. Only the best for his endeavors.
Jellal: *Maximum sweet what?*
Erza: *continues to entertain herself as she swoons over the many prerequisites of her cake*
Jellal: *clearly was going to need to do some research on what makes a cake, a cake. Surely there was something magic baked into it to bewitch the scarlet haired warrior in such a way. His soon-to-be bride was mad... mad!
*and he wouldn't have it any other way*
Just for you
my lovelies,
Seriphia
aka
Lick
*~.🎂.~*